Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan
Pakistan: Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 was 25.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan, 1979–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan is 25.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan peaked at 25.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 1979.
That places Pakistan 160th out of 172 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 5.9% | — |
| 1980 | 6.0% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 11.5% | +93.4% |
| 1982 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 11.1% | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 11.1% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 10.2% | -8.1% |
| 1986 | 11.0% | +8.2% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | +13.0% |
| 1989 | 9.8% | -20.8% |
| 1990 | 12.0% | +22.1% |
| 1991 | 12.3% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 14.1% | +14.9% |
| 1993 | 13.7% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 13.9% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 12.1% | -13.0% |
| 1997 | 14.0% | +16.4% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 14.0% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | +15.2% |
| 2005 | 15.7% | -7.5% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | +21.3% |
| 2007 | 19.4% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 19.9% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 21.0% | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 22.2% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 22.1% | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 22.7% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 20.9% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 22.1% | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | -43.9% |
| 2021 | 22.3% | +80.0% |
| 2025 | 25.4% | +13.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 10.5% | 6.0% | 12.4% | 9 |
| 1990s | 13.3% | 12.0% | 14.5% | 8 |
| 2000s | 17.6% | 14.0% | 21.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 21.9% | 20.2% | 22.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 12.4% | 25.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1724 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4553 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 160,228 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 146,712 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 259,090 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 251,911 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 511,001 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan?
- Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 in Pakistan was 25.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 1979.
- How does Pakistan rank for female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024?
- Pakistan ranks 160th out of 172 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024 rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate, 1980 vs. 2024. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.